Battling segregation, both in town and at home, Tangy Mae is the darkest of her mothers ten children.

Rozelle, the mother, has abandonment issues and tries her best to ensure that her children stay with her. Sleeping on the floor, being wet by rain from a leaky roof. But that soon changes, the roof and the dwelling for some.

Tangy Mae, somehow feels indebted to say, mostly for her younger, helpless siblings. 

Throughout the story, many truths are told and secrets are revealed. Some I couldn’t have dared piece together. 

This story was very hard to get through. Though it represented almost every challenge a person could go through, in all areas of life. I just wanted to know where was CPS? Pearl did try, but not enough. But it was in the 1950’s and people didn’t give a damn about “coloreds”. 

I can say the writing was good as hell. The author mastered “show but dont tell”. There was never a dull moment and some sort of BS was happening every other page. Seeing the resilience of these kids was weighing on me, no one should have to witness or endure any of the things the Quinn children did. 

In the end it seemed as if the oldest daughters were turning into everything they hated about their mother. 

Tangy did what she’d known she’d have to do for herself.